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California Is Burning Again – Here’s What Caused It

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Liberals are blaming California’s wildfires on “climate change.” Apparently, climate change now causes wildfires, but only in the state of California. Before this week, liberals thought rising sea levels would wash the state away. Now, they believe it will go up in flames unless we do something immediately to stop “climate change.” But climate change hasn’t turned California into a tinderbox, the environmentalists have.

California power company PG&E is preparing to pull the plug on 850,000 of its customers. PG&E has been deliberately cutting power to its customers in an effort to avoid wildfires. It isn’t working. Massive wildfires erupted in areas where PG&E provides service. The Tick Fire has burned down several homes and caused the evacuation of more than 40,000 people so far, and other wildfires are burning throughout the state. In Sonoma County, the Kincade Fire has already torched 34 square miles and destroyed 49 homes. That fire was likely caused by a broken transmission line belonging to PG&E.

But PG&E’s equipment couldn’t start these huge wildfires without a bunch of dead brush fueling the flames. As Chuck Devore writes in Forbes, “the outrageous cost to remove a few dead trees from private land is a consequence of California’s Byzantine environmental regulatory patchwork.” It’s not climate change that’s responsible for these massive fires, “it’s decades of environmental mismanagement that has created a tinderbox of unharvested timber, dead trees, and thick underbrush.”

As Devore writes, “forest management is so bad on public lands that a new report, ordered by the California legislature in 2010, shows that the portion of California’s National Forests protected from timber harvesting is now a net contributor to atmospheric carbon dioxide due to fires and trees killed by insects and disease.” So if environmentalists really believed climate change was causing the fires, they would be calling for more timber harvesting to stop it.

(Read more from “California Is Burning Again – Here’s What Caused It” HERE)

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California Declares State of Emergency

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California has declared a state of emergency, the Associated Press reports, as wildfires and hurricane force winds ravage areas of the state, leaving millions without power.

Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement Sunday in an attempt to reassure Californians — particularly those in the Bay Area and in Sonoma County where the fires threaten major agriculture and industry — that the state was deploying “every resource available” to battle the blazes.

The wildfires, blazing in Sonoma County and near San Francisco, and further south near Santa Clarita, had already driven more than 50,000 people from their homes by Saturday night when experts predicted a “catastrophic wind event” with hurricane-force gusts. By Sunday, 180,000 people had been told to flee to safer ground and winds up to 80 miles per hour blew across Napa Valley vineyards, causing the fires to take on an “erratic” burn pattern. . .

Before the winds arrived, the Kincade Fire, which began Wednesday night, was only 10% contained, and had already burned 47 square miles, destroying nearly 80 structures, according to the Associated Press. Nine people have been reported injured so far, victims of a tree that came crashing down on a farmer’s market near San Francisco, but the casualties are by no means fully counted. The last fire, that swept through largely the same area in 2017, killed 24 people. (Read more from “California Declares State of Emergency” HERE)

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Here’s Why Parts of California Will Have No Power for Nearly a Week

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In an unprecedented move, Pacific Gas & Electric early Wednesday began shutting off power to about 800,000 customers across Northern California in an attempt to avoid wildfires caused by winds damaging power equipment.
The first power cutoffs, expected to affect 513,000 customers, began shortly after midnight in several counties around Sacramento, including Placer and Yuba, amid strengthening winds and continued to roll out into the early morning hours.

The blackouts will impact 34 counties in Central and Northern California. It would be the biggest power shutdown so far as utilities across the state attempt to reduce wildfire risk due to heavy wind. Utilities malfunctions have been tied to some of the state’s most destructive fires, including last year’s Camp fire, which devastated Paradise, Calif., and the 2017 wine country blazes.

“It is a very blunt way of approaching the situation, but at the same time, there’s an understanding of why it’s being undertaken,” said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who noted PG&E’s announcement came on the second anniversary of the 2017 firestorm. “We have vulnerable populations, our elderly and young children. We’re mostly concerned about them.” . . .

“Power shut-offs in the face of really widespread dangerous fire weather, which is what we’re confronting, may be the best thing we can do for the time being,” Wara said. “In the long run, PG&E needs to fix its grid. And so does Edison … so they can use power shut-offs as a more limited tool like a scalpel rather than the blunt instrument they have now.”

Some state and local officials also have complained that utilities don’t always give enough notice before turning off the power. And they have expressed concerns about communications and evacuations if the power is out, especially if traffic signals don’t work and cellphone service is affected. (Read more from “Here’s Why Parts of California Will Have No Power for Nearly a Week” HERE)

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This State May Be Using Water With Chemicals Linked to Cancer

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According to a new study, 7.5 million Californians may be using water contaminated with PFAs, chemicals that never break down and have been associated with cancer. Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises a cap of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) PFAS in drinking water, the survey found that over 40% of the 74 water systems that were studied had at least one sample with a level of total PFAS over 70 ppt. . .

The Environmental Protection Agency explained where PFAS can be found:

Food packaged in PFAS-containing materials, processed with equipment that used PFAS, or grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water. Commercial household products, including stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick products (e.g., Teflon), polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products, and fire-fighting foams (a major source of groundwater contamination at airports and military bases where firefighting training occurs). Workplace, including production facilities or industries (e.g., chrome plating, electronics manufacturing or oil recovery) that use PFAS. Drinking water, typically localized and associated with a specific facility (e.g., manufacturer, landfill, wastewater treatment plant, firefighter training facility). Living organisms, including fish, animals and humans, where PFAS have the ability to build up and persist over time.

On the effects of these chemicals, the EPA stated, “Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals.” They added, “The most consistent findings are increased cholesterol levels among exposed populations, with more limited findings related to: low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer (for PFOA), and thyroid hormone disruption (for PFOS).”

The EWG study noted, “PFAS contamination has been found in more than 800 communities, military bases, airports and industrial sites nationwide. EWG’s analysis of unreleased EPA-mandated test data estimates that more than 100 million Americans may have PFAS in their drinking water. Because PFAS are ‘forever chemicals’ that never break down once released into the environment, they build up in our blood and organs.” The study the cited the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “virtually all Americans have PFAS in their blood.” (Read more from “This State May Be Using Water With Chemicals Linked to Cancer” HERE)

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California Police Officer Forced to Abandon Chase After Tesla Patrol Vehicle Runs Low on Battery (VIDEO)

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A Tesla electric patrol car fizzled out on an officer in the middle of a police chase in Fremont, California, last week, when a low battery caused the officer to drop his pursuit. . .

“I am down to six miles of battery on the Tesla, so I may lose it here in a sec,” the officer can be heard telling dispatch, according to police radio transmissions obtained by KPIX-TV. “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the number one spot?”

Other patrol officers were able to jump in and continue chase on the suspect, but ultimately abandoned their pursuit after the situation became dangerous when the suspect began driving erratically. CNN reported that the suspect’s car was later found abandoned in San Jose. . .

The Fremont Police Department is taking part in a six-month pilot program, testing out the using of 2014 Tesla model S 85 vehicles, according to Fox News, “as part of Fremont’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from its 2005 baseline by 2020.” (Read more from “California Police Officer Forced to Abandon Chase After Tesla Patrol Vehicle Runs Low on Battery” HERE)

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Federal Judge Hands President Trump a Big Victory Against California

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A federal judge knocked down a new Californian law requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns in order to appear on primary ballots, which was clearly targeting President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. issued the temporary injunction on Thursday and said he would put out a final order soon, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The law was seen as a swipe against Trump, who has resisted releasing his tax returns. His critics have accused him of covering up damaging information, but he is not required by law to release them, only by convention. . .

Judge England said that the law would cause “irreparable harm without temporary relief” for candidates including Trump. . .

California’s liberal lawmakers have emerged as some of the more vehement opponents of the president. On Wednesday, Gov. Newsom angrily denounced the president over his decision to end their waivers on federal automobile emission standards. (Read more form “Federal Judge Hands President Trump a Big Victory Against California” HERE)

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California Lawmakers Pass Resolution to Force Churches to ‘Embrace’ Homosexuality

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California lawmakers passed a resolution this month telling “religious groups” — including Christian pastors and churches — to “embrace” the LGBTQ worldview, even if it contradicts the moral values of those religious groups.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 99, introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, also mentions what many believe are problems with so-called “conversion therapy,” or counseling for people struggling with same-sex attraction.

The resolution calls on “all Californians,” including religious groups, to “embrace” the “individual and social benefits of family and community acceptance” of LGBTQ people.

“[T]he Legislature calls upon religious leaders to counsel on LGBTQ matters from a place of love, compassion, and knowledge of the psychological and other harms of conversion therapy,” the resolution states. . .

“The stigma associated with being LGBTQ often created by groups in society, including therapists and religious groups, has caused disproportionately high rates of suicide, attempted suicide, depression, rejection, and isolation amongst LGBTQ and questioning individuals,” the resolution declares. (Read more from “California Lawmakers Pass Resolution to Force Churches to ‘Embrace’ Homosexuality” HERE)

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‘Like a “Dawn of the Dead” Scene’: Shopkeeper Bitten by Homeless Man in California

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A San Francisco business owner is recounting a second run-in with the city’s homeless population that ended in him being bitten.

Gilles DeSaulniers told Tucker Carlson Wednesday about his encounter earlier this month with a homeless man that left him with muscle damage in his arm from the bite wound. . .

“In the process, he decided to bite me, and one of the statements he made was, ‘Why are you even calling the police — they’re not going to do anything — they’re just going to let me go’.”

Carlson said it is unbelievable something like that could happen in an American city.

“This is like a ‘Dawn of the Dead’ scene — you were bitten,” he said. (Read more from “‘Like a “Dawn of the Dead” Scene’: Shopkeeper Bitten by Homeless Man in California” HERE)

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California Adds State to ‘Travel Ban’ Over Refusal to Fund Gender Transitions

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California announced last week that it has added Iowa to the list of states on its ever-expanding “travel ban” list because of that state’s new prohibition against funding gender-transition surgeries under Medicaid.

The announcement by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra means that as of Oct. 4, California will no longer offer taxpayer-funded trips to Iowa for any public employee or student at a state-run university. . .

“The Iowa Legislature has reversed course on what was settled law under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, repealing protections for those seeking gender-affirming health care,” Becerra said in a statement. “California has taken an unambiguous stand against discrimination and government actions that would enable it.”

The brouhaha began after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in March that taxpayers could be forced to pay for gender reassignment surgery. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law effectively overriding that ruling two months later.

“This narrow provision simply clarifies that Iowa’s Civil Rights Act does not require taxpayer dollars to pay for sex reassignment and other similar surgeries,” Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said in a statement at the time. “This returns us to what had been the state’s position for years.” (Read more from “California Adds State to ‘Travel Ban’ Over Refusal to Fund Gender Transitions” HERE)

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Disgusting: Activist Throws Menstrual Blood on Lawmakers Amid Protest Over State’s New Vaccination Laws

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The California state Senate was evacuated on Friday, after a protestor in the chamber threw a red liquid — reportedly menstrual blood — onto several lawmakers. The identity of the alleged perpetrator has not been released, but the incident occurred while hundreds of protestors descended on Sacramento to demonstrate against new laws cracking down on vaccine exemptions.

Protestors were reportedly watching the Senate from the upstairs balcony when a woman threw the liquid while yelling at lawmakers. Sen. Scott Weiner (D) wrote on Twitter, “A few minutes ago, the anti-vaxxer stalkers — who’ve engaged in harassment campaign all week — dropped a red substance onto the Senate floor from the elevated public gallery, dousing several of my colleagues. The person who committed this assault screamed it was baby blood.”

Weiner added, “These anti-vaxxers are engaging in criminal behavior. They’ve now repeatedly assaulted Senators & are engaging in harassing & intimidating behavior every single day, as we try to do the people’s work. They’re a cancer on the body politic & are attacking democracy.”

The Sacramento Bee quoted Sen. Steve Glazer (D) as tweeting out, “Senators Galgiani, Hurtado, Skinner, Mitchell, Rubio and me were all hit by red liquid thrown from the Senate gallery. I’m told the person has been arrested. Senate in recess.”

The Senate chambers were evacuated to allow law enforcement to investigate. The California Highway Patrol told Politico the substance was menstrual blood, which was what the activist claimed. The suspect was arrested. (Read more from “Disgusting: Activist Throws Menstrual Blood on Lawmakers Amid Protest Over State’s New Vaccination Laws” HERE)

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